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Access through your institution Buy or subscribe Although a ray picture from an optics textbook is often the first thing that springs to mind, lenses manipulate the phases of an incoming

light wave, resulting in tight focal spots or fanned-out beams. More complex wavefronts call for a combination of several lenses or a specifically designed freeform element, which is often

the favoured solution to keep set-ups and devices compact. In an age of computer-aided machining and 3D printing, fabricating freeform optics may not seem particularly challenging, but

useful optical components require a precision and surface smoothness that standard techniques currently can’t achieve for arbitrary shapes — at least not without extensive manual

post-processing in the spirit of the 16th century lens makers. This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution ACCESS OPTIONS Access through your institution Access

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AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Nature Physics https://www.nature.com/naturephysics Nina Meinzer Authors * Nina Meinzer View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed 

Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to Nina Meinzer. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Meinzer, N. Freeform fabrication.

_Nat. Phys._ 18, 9 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-021-01497-5 Download citation * Published: 13 January 2022 * Issue Date: January 2022 * DOI:

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